Climbing off the couch

It is getting close to that time again. The time when we start frantically reviewing movies for your pleasure, remembering that we need to write all the articles we had weeks to finish but were too busy drinking and playing GH2 to really think about, time to get everything together, pull up the proverbial socks and put out the next ArtScene paper.

This month we are focusing on music. Local music, music festivals, musicians who have gone on to do bigger things and even a music movie. (Forgive me Todd, I still think it is a classic.) You will be able to check out our play by play on the Merritt Mountain Music Festival. (Contrary to popular belief, Reba was not touching herself.)

You may have noticed the wait has been longer this time around for your dose of ArtScene. We are toying with some timing options. Don't worry, we are still committed to bringing you all the fun and excitement that we can muster. And just wait till you see what's in store for October. But I don't want to spoil anything, so for now keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming September issue of ArtScene!

On the Road Again

Well my bags are packed, I 'm ready to go...
Alright, it is the afternoon of the day of the Merritt Mountain Music Festival trip and I am counting down the moments till we are on the road. It is easy to see I am the more excited one of the bunch, but come on, it's Merritt!

This will be my first time at the big festival, and going as press still feels like I am ripping someone off somewhere. The idea of a press pit is a little daunting, really, here in Williams lake the press pits consist of three people who know each other taking turns asking questions. I think this may be a little different.

So off we go in the Grand Caravan, for those of you who may care. All the seats are torn out but the front ones and the futon is tossed in the back. Oh ya, that's right, we are going in style. There are three coolers in the back, that's right, three. One for beer, one for food, and a little one for whatever doesn't fit, or even for dragging around. You never know. All the windows are plastered with the ArtScene newspapers. I would love to say it was a big promotional tool, but really it was the result of all the cheap double sided tape-on velcro attached curtains falling down, but we will stick to the promotional idea. I like it better. Oh ya, and my big bucket of SPF 70 sunscreen. I am pretty fair and I have two colors to my skin - insanely white (and I mean the moon beams reflect off the whiteness of my ass kinda white) and beet red. That's it, no variants. So it will be interesting to see if I can still move after the weekend.

So off we go into the wild blue yonder. Keep an eye out for postings, we will be sure to take plenty of pictures, and for all of you who have asked me to kiss Reba for you - I will do my best, but please when I am arrested, pitch in for bail.

We're back!

Okay, so it's pretty easy to tell when we're hard at work on a new edition of ArtScene, because this blog goes almost completely dead. It's not that we don't love this little spot, and we'd certainly never say that the printed ArtScene magazine was our favourite of the two, but the fact it is, the printed version has a deadline. And if we don't meet that deadline, bad things happen.

So, we met that deadline, and ArtScene #3 went to press last Tuesday. It should be out among you now, in the traditional locations, so go pick it up if you want to read about holistic health (or not-so-holistic health) and all sorts of other goodies.

Issue #4 looks like to have a pretty major focus on music, with some stories on the Merritt Mountain Music Fest, the Bella Coola Music Fest, and more. On top of that, there will be some coverage of the upcoming theatre production of "Dinner and Drinks" which is on stage at the Limelight on August 10, 11, 17, and 18. I wrote and directed this particular show, so I'll probably be sitting down to interview myself over a few drinks, to get at the heart of the most pressing questions around the production. It might sound like an easy interview, but I can be terribly evasive, even when talking to myself.

We're off to Merritt this weekend. Look for some quick recaps when we get back (or, perhaps, some moblogging if my cell phone still works out there, and if I can get it set up before we leave.

Denial and procrastination go hand in hand

The week before ArtScene is to be out on the shelves and right on cue it feels like my brain is going to blow up. All the writing that I have procrastinated about is biting at my heels, and there isn't enough coffee in the world to keep my eyes in a steady focus.

Thankfully I have to start my day tomorrow looking into the healing properties of massage. Poor me. I think I am ready to get a full on rub down and I am positive I will have glowing reports on that one. If I don't fall asleep. I better write my questions down before I get there. I may be a little goo-like when I leave.

Aside from all my mumbling I am really looking forward to this issue. Look for Todd's journal on the wonders of canned goodies. I won't tell you much, but I had tears in my eyes this morning and a coworker almost needed CPR.

One week till Merritt. I know it is a bit of a stretch calling going away for the weekend to hang out with musicians and drink beer work but... What are you gonna do?

So off I go to put my mind to some things that will make you, the reader, happy and smiley. Well, maybe a little Animal Crossings first, after all ... I have days.

Heading for the Hills

Well the realization that the next paper has to be prepped in just over a week to be on the shelves in 2 is being balanced with the other realization that it means that it is only 2 and a half weeks until the Merritt Mountain Music Festival.

Now, for someone who is not that enthusiastic about country music, I am ridiculously excited about this event. It could be the waiting press passes at the door. It could be the chance to interview big-wig Reba McEntire. It could even be the excitement of such a huge iconic concert atmosphere. Or it could be the 2 acres of beer gardens and the notion of checking out the illustrious "Campsite C". I think it is a combination of all of the above.

It is refreshing to have the big dilemmas be things like "What do I wear?" "What do I bring?" "Can I find a cooler big enough for all the beer and BBQ that need to come along?" "How fast can I learn the words to the new Carrie Underwood song?" "What is the new Carrie Underwood song?" "Can I still fit into my old beer t-shirts?"

By the time the trip comes along the 3rd installment of ArtScene should be on the shelves, it will be time to unwind, and to start prepping for the fourth. What better way to do that than to get stinking drunk with thousands of people on a river bank while listening to a cowboy hat wearing guy in jeans sing about his sad tale of love and loss.

Be sure to stay tuned for the whole sordid account. It should be one heck of a journal.

One ends, another begins.

It is official. ArtScene is out on the stands, the articles are being read and causing stir everywhere. The one thing about controversy is that you know it is being noticed. "there is no such thing as bad press as long as they spell your name right."
But enough about that.

It is a great feeling to have the physical paper in the hands (trust me, if you don't believe me go out and get one, it will make you happy and full of energy and vigor). It is good to see the job well done, to be able to sit and think for a little bit, to take a mini break from the everyday and regroup. So that was done. Regrouping. And you know what was realized? We need a theme for next month!

You got it. That is the other side of a job well done in this sort of business. There is another one right at it's heels. Now I know how Feodor Vassilyev's wife felt. (look it up, it will make sense)
I am looking forward to this coming month's issue. Not that I haven't been thus far, but this one promises to have fun research. I am not going to tell you what the theme is yet, I am going to give you a chance to actually pick up this months issue first. But just to let you know, we are thinking about your entertainment next month already, and it should be a bucket of fun.

I am off to relax for my last day of peace and quiet before the race starts again. Make sure to write in to us and let us know how we are doing so far.

J

Issue #2 is in your hands (and if not, why not?)

ArtScene #2 went to press Monday night and should be on the streets as of today. Go find a copy. It's awesome beyond words.

I swear, on Tuesday night, after the Quesnel paper and the Williams Lake paper went to press, I actually felt the stress physically lift from my body. It was a really strange experience, and was immediately followed with an almost overwhelming exhaustion. Which led to much good sleeping last night, and vague sense of contentment today, for those interested.

Just dropping in a quick update for what you'll be finding on the blog here in the next few days. We're going to be doing some interviews with the musicians who'll be playing at the Merritt Mountain Music Festival, and we'll be looking for suggestions for things to ask them. As well, look for a review of Hostel 2 (which will likely turn into a rant about the "torture porn" label that some critics have been slapping on movies late), a discussion of the finale of the Sopranos, and a story that didn't make the cut for the print edition of ArtScene #2. And, of course, other miscellaneous silliness.

The Looming

So the deadline is looming now, as deadlines are likely to do. ArtScene #2 is officially hitting the press on Monday, and officially out on the streets on Wednesday. The layout is trucking along at a good pace, thanks for asking, with only about four pages left to rough out before I have to settle into the nit-picky stuff. Like, for example, what's going on the cover.

Which, yes, should probably be done by now. But isn't. I just can't seem to find an image that grabs me properly, and I'm beginning to think I may have to go with a different front page feature story. I'm against going theatre on the front, as it was our big feature last month, which really only leaves the festival tour guide story. And unfortunately a lot of that is promoing a lot of out-of-town goings-on. Not sure I want to make that a big feature either.

No need to stress. There's still some time.

Locked in the DVD review pages last night. For those curious, the films reviewed this issue are:

The Fountain
Deliver Us From Evil
Pan's Labyrinth
Factotum
Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus
Death of a President
Bubba Ho-Tep (the arguable classic for this issue).

What did we think of the films? Well, obviously, you're going to have to wait until ArtScene #2 hits the streets to find out. But I will tell you this: There was some considerable debate over the quality of The Fountain.

It does have it's perks

As we are getting ready to put out the next ArtScene, with all the chaos and deadline hairiness, it is good to note that the paper does have it's perks. A couple of us were treated, last night, to a fantastic dinner at and tour of a nearby resort. Which one? Not going to tell you, but you can read about it in the next ArtScene. The food was lovely, the scenery divine. I know where my next get-away is going to be. God knows I need one.
It is good to remember sometimes that every now and then it is good to rejuvenate, refresh, renew, refuel and all the other re's that make a person feel good. There is far too much stress and pressure on us in our daily lives that taking a break should be a necessity as opposed to an idea. Be it a mini vacation, a day holed up in the house with nothing but bubble bath and a book, or a 3 month trek across the Andes, it is good to get away sometimes.
But, until then, I still have to run amok and make sure I have earned the retreat! So off I go mumbling obscenities about deadlines and ad space...

Delays

Pictured: See? It's not just me who knows the true beauty of cheese -- this apparently random scribbling was found on the wall in the backstage area of the Prince George Theatre during festival. Cheese IS yummy!

Due to circumstances well within our control, we are delaying the publication of the next issue of ArtScene by one week. You could try to say that it's because we're a bunch of lazy drunkards who didn't get their work done on time, but we prefer to think of it as taking the necessary time to ensure that ArtScene #2 is the best gosh-darn publication we're able to put together. This is how much we care about you -- our loyal fans -- and how badly we want to ensure that our product doesn't disappoint.

On top of that, there's a whole lot of other stuff going to press this week at the Cariboo Advisor office, and we're a little short-staffed for the next few days, so playing the waiting game seemed like the best idea.

The crunch gets crunchier...

Majority of the layout work on ArtScene #2 will be taking place over this next weekend (the work being occasionally broken up by bursts of playing my recently acquired Guitar Hero 2 for the Xbox 360 -- I think I'm a confirmed addict at this point). Most of the stories are now done, though I'm still trying to track down a few details for the Stampede story, and have yet to actually take any steps towards getting the Station House Gallery piece done. Perhaps tomorrow. Perhaps I can just give up on sleeping.

No idea what's going on the cover yet, otherwise I might post a shot of it, just to whet some appetites (the appetites of the one or two people who stop by here, assuming even those many do. They may not. Who knows.)

We'll actually have a letters page this month two, even though it took some begging and pleading to actually get the letters. Apparently playing on people's sympathies isn't as effective as I thought it would be. That, or people don't care if the wife and children of a letters page starve to death when the main bread-winner of the letters page family loses its job.

Where does the time go?

Well, it is down to crunch time. This is the point where we here with ArtScene have to put down the video game controllers, well, for a little while anyhow, stop with the beer .. oh who are we kidding? Ok, really, it is time to get things organized for the next issue of ArtScene, coming soon to a newspaper rack near you!

What a busy time this has been. With being involved in other things, like theatre - which is safe to say will steal every ounce of your free time and your soul, and make you love every minute of it - and family - they still know what I look like, they have a picture, I may need to update it - trying to maintain some small semblance of a social life, and another new project - because who really needs all that free time? It is a challenge to juggle everything. But we do make a valiant effort! Even if half of the writing is done in an alcohol fueled frenzy the week before production.

We have watched a bunch of great flicks that I think you may find very interesting. Some even caused debate! Those are the best ones I think, though they can make for stormy departures. I mean, can I help it if I am a moody artistic type?

The Theatre festival was a huge success, find out all about the adventures in the upcoming issue. There was parties, awards, celebrations, bears, and prayers for death. How can you go wrong with all that?

I also spent a bunch of time going through a slew of festivals all over the Cariboo this summer for all of you. Goodness have I got my summer planned. (really need to update that picture for the kids) Looks like there will be something almost every weekend, now I just need to stock up on some spf70. I have two colors, incredibly white, or deep scalded red. I prefer the first.

So off I go to try and finish off the advertising and editorials before the end of the week without having my brain ooze too much out of my ears ... must remember to stop at the cold beer and wine after work.

Crunch Time

Got back yesterday afternoon from a weekend trip to Prince George for the Central Interior Zone Drama Festival. Had a blast, even if it was mostly busy and hectic with little downtime. Fortunately (or unfortunately, if you ask my bank account) there was enough downtime for some shopping at Future Shop and a spiffy little bookstore.

The event will be featured in a journal-esque format in the next issue of ArtScene. And, if our freelancer for the show is able to pull her own story together, there will be two entirely different perspectives on the event -- one from the side of the "Sylvia" production (by me) and one from the side of "Looking for Normal." And one will likely involve more references to liquor than the other. That'd be mine.

The next seven days are pretty much the crunch time for ArtScene #2, during which I'm going to be writing my arse off because I didn't get enough writing done during the rest of the month, and then -- sometime following Thursday -- starting work on laying the whole thing out, so it can go to press sometime around the weekend, to be on the streets sometime next week.

All of this, of course, I'm trying desperately not to think about. Because that's really only about a week. Seven days. Of hell. Or it would be, if I was thinking about it. Which I'm not.

Periodic updates to come over the next week as I slowly lose my mind.

Have your say...

Here at the ArtScene blog, we're always wanting to try out new things. First on that list of new things to try out (which is arguably new, because the blog has only really been around for a month, so we're still going through the "what should we do with this space phase) is a semi-regular poll, which you'll see in the right-hand column. Too much sex in ArtScene #1? Not enough? Let us know. Or don't. It's all up to you.

One down, potentially hundreds to go...

Well the first ArtScene is on the stands, in the hands of the community at large, and I am thrilled to see it in it's form. Being involved from the go ahead to now and beyond is an exciting ride.

It seems like just the other day that Todd and I sat over drinks banging out what was to become the content of the first issue of ArtScene. The level of anticipation was high then, as I took on my parts. I have been a little rusty in writing, and it was good to get into the swing of things, and at the same time, scary as hell putting it back into use. I can remember, as a youth, writing about everything and anything. Short stories, poetry, ramblings, scripts, and then putting it down for a long time. It is so good to be getting the gears going again. Who said you can't be creative and have a career?

I am very happy to report that the reviews for the first ArtScene Newspaper have been phenomenal. We have received many kudos for the paper, for the content, for the writing, and for the concept in general. I can't wait to get going on the next one. It really is a great publication. If you haven't seen one yet, you should definitely pick one up.

Our next agenda is getting together again for another content meeting. The weekends meeting has been postponed, though we will be mapping it out much sooner rather than later. The hopes are for a bigger publication, so we are wanting to be prepared with enough entertaining content to keep you, the readers, and us, the writers, amused and coming back for more. Because, let me tell you, it is just as fun to write it for you, as, hopefully, it is to pick up and read.

Here is to another fantastic issue!

One down...

The first issue of ArtScene hit the presses yesterday, and should be on the streets today. As I write this, people should already be picking it up, browsing through it, and going, "Wow, this is pretty cool!"

I've got two copies in my living room right now. I flipped through them earlier, and I must say it looks pretty good to my eyes, though I was already pretty much in love with the idea even before we started, so I suppose I'm not the most unbiased.

The next week or two we'll see what the general public's reaction is like, even as those of working on the content for the ArtScene start pulling together ideas for the next issue. There's a brainstorming session planned for Friday after the regular workday, because brainstorming always works a little bit better when there's a drink or four involved. Because in brainstorming, there are no bad ideas. Just ideas that, for whatever reason, you choose not to use. And some of the best not-bad ideas come out after inhibitions have dropped a notch or two.

There's something mildly psychotic about putting the first issue of a publication to press only to turn around and immediately start work on the next issue. There should be time taken for celebration, time to rejoice in the job that was done, and the product that was made -- and it's a product, I think, that everyone associated with it is incredibly proud of. Unfortunately, with only four weeks to pull the next one together, there's little time for celebration. Though perhaps we can take a moment on Friday to toast the inaugural issue.

Look for a blog update on Saturday following the brainstorming, with some ideas on what you might be looking forward to in ArtScene #2.